Dog dies in Minnehaha house fire

A dog died in a Tuesday house fire in the West Minnehaha neighborhood after he tried to get to a pizza box on the stovetop and ignited the kitchen.

The Vancouver Fire Department responded at about 2:40 p.m. to 3012 N.E. Cherry Road. The first crew to arrive found an attic fire, according to fire department spokesman Joe Hudson. The residents were not home, and the door was locked so firefighters forced their way inside.

Fifteen firefighters extinguished the blaze in less than 10 minutes, Hudson said. No one was injured.

Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said the family’s 10-year-old German shepherd mix, named Buster, bumped a burner on the stovetop while trying to get to the food. The burners ignited the pizza box, which then ignited the kitchen cabinets.

The property and content loss was $107,402, Scarpelli said.

The fire department’s chaplain responded to assist the displaced family, Hudson said. Fire crews were on scene for an hour and a half.

The fire marshal reminds people with pets not to leave food out, especially if kids will be home alone when schools let out for the  summer.